Void
by KobeNiku
Summary: Emerging from the crashed Tendoshuu ship after he betrayed the them to set his plan into motion, he realises that Edo is nowhere in sight. He also notices the presence of a woman who may or may not have more in common than he thought. *Contains major spoilers for later parts of Gintama. Since this site does have the spoiler character's name, read the manga or watch the anime first


He went by many names. Many identities over centuries or even millennia. He did not bother to count the years as it was pointless for a being that has lived for as long as he. A man many deemed an unkillable monster, he has gone through countless deaths by the hands of the people around him. Burned at the stake, decapitated, stabbed, crushed, the list could go on and on. Yet, there he was, standing and breathing.

Where he was standing, and breathing, however, was a different story. After destroying the Tendoshuu ship and crashing it into the Earth, he expected it to land somewhere closer to Edo. Instead, all he saw was an old Japanese mansion surrounded by a seemingly endless forest of bamboo. Was it a trap? Did it house more people that dare oppose him? Having been travelling in space for a good part of the twelve years since the personality known as Shoyo died, he supposed that a little curiosity would not hurt. He highly doubted anything will.

With soundless steps, unhindered by the feathered cape he wore on his shoulders, he jumped over the wall of the mansion in a single bound. To his surprise, not a single foot soldier was seen. No samurai, no ninja, no rifle-wielding alien. Instead, before his eyes, he saw a long-haired woman sipping green tea by the mansion steps.

The woman appeared to be of royalty due to the air of elegance that radiated from her and her haircut. She also seemed to be undeterred by his sudden intrusion into her home, opting to stare at him while setting her cup down.

"Have a seat," the woman beckoned. Utsuro, feeling unsure for the first time in centuries, contemplated for a moment before sitting next to her. As he was sitting down, he noticed her eyes. They had a familiar look yet they also were different.

Sakura petals began to float in the air. He noted that the cherry blossom tree in the garden in front of him had bloomed even though it was not in season.

"What is your name, trespasser?", she questioned calmly.

She had a sense of humour as well, it seemed. "I have gone by many names and have lived many lives. But I am nothing but a void. I am Utsuro."

Rather than being intimidated, she gave him a knowing smile and giggled. "My, my, how brooding. My name is Kaguya."

Utsuro raised a brow at her strange behaviour but kept one hand by his sword grip just in case she tries anything funny. Just as he placed his hand on the grip, he felt something pierce through his chest. He did not even have to look to know that his heart had been destroyed and thus he swung his sword across Kaguya's neck.

The blood spraying from her neck blended well with the fluttering sakura petals in the garden, her head bouncing off the ground and rolling slowly to her feet.

Utsuro then got up, convinced that she was an assassin after his life. How foolish. However, his interest piqued when he saw Kaguya's headless body pick up her head and reattach it.

"Huh?"

The wounds around her neck healed almost instantaneously and she turned to look at him. Her eyes being devoid of life but bright with it.

"Surprised to know that I cannot die as well?", she teased. "To be fair, I already knew that you were immortal in some ways judging by the severity of the wreckage in front of my home. So, I wanted to test my theory out and it was proven."

Utsuro unsheathed his sword with his signature cold smile. "So, you already knew. However, your immortality, it's nothing I've come across before. Have you infused your blood with this planet's Altana?"

Kaguya, smirking in response, replied, "Considering I've come from the Moon, that is unlikely. However, let me ask you this: Do you believe in 'gravity'?"

Before he could answer, Kaguya was already floating in the air with countless balls of energy forming a pattern behind her. Then, the energy balls came flying towards him in a dizzying flurry.

With his superhuman reflexes and agility that he had gained over half a millennium, he dodged most of them with ease. Weaving and dashing faster than the human eye could see, looked for an opening in her defences.

Spotting a small gap in between the pattern, he jumped through it and cut her down. Surprisingly, his sword was caught by Kaguya with one hand who promptly flung him down and floated gently down.

She then brought out a paper fan from her sleeve and fanned herself with it, covering her mouth. "I could feel your conviction through that blow. It's very strong and shows resolve. However, you lack a vital component."

Snapping the fan shut, she pointed at him with her free hand and declared, "The appreciation of life and all the pains that it brings!"

"Oh?", he scoffed. "What do you know about suffering and pain? Anything you do to make life better will be consumed by it and soon you will be faced with the inevitable conclusion: Shutting yourself away from it. Become a being of emptiness. A void."

"Hah! Don't start lecturing me on experience, boy!", she mocked. "Void? Becoming one with the emptiness? Please, the Lunarians are way ahead of you. Besides, I have lived for far longer than you. Do you know the legend of Princess Kaguya? That is my story they're telling! And I can confirm that most of it is canon."

"Interesting," he said. "To think that there are more immortals closer to home than I thought. That…makes me feel glad. The only other person I have heard with immortality had already died due to long-term separation from her home planet: her source of Altana. Learning of her death gave a slight hope knowing that one day, I can finally die."

He suddenly stood up, startling Kaguya a bit.

"That day is drawing near. I must go."

Kaguya, puzzled, blurted, "Oh, okay. But why though?"

He turned around with his cold smile and said, "I have provoked nearly the entire galaxy into waging war with the Earth. When they start firing their weapons that will no doubt destroy this world, I can finally die."

"But I will still remain."

His eyes widened in surprise but said nothing.

"Unlike you, whose immortality is bound by the planet's energy, mine is tied by the Hourai Elixir, a true cure for death. Even if this world burns, even when the Sun has reached its lifespan, I can never die."

She then stood up and approached him, smiling softly. "Do you believe in 'gravity', Utsuro? It is not only the force that keeps us grounded but also the force that brings people of similar ability or circumstance together. It is the weight of a situation and the pull of other planetary bodies to each other."

He stared into her lifeless yet lively eyes. Looking at them, he finally understood what she meant by 'appreciation of life and its pains'. It was to accept that life naturally gravitated towards death and that the pain of living is proof that you were alive. Giving her a warm smile with both his eyes closed lightly, he replied, "I believe."


End file.
